mitaka

Just slashed my tire on the George Washington Bridge...the car felt like there was nothing wrong with it at 60 mph AMAZING... Red warning appeared SEVERE TIRE DAMAGE... In moments like that you appreciate being in an MB... pulled over by the cable pillar in a small island...almost got pancaked by the traffic trying to change the tire myself... there was no way I can call and wait for MB roadside... port authority people surrounded me thinking I am about to blow up the bridge or something...the most bizzare day in a long time... turned out to be a huge piece of metal from the bridge...

chilledbenz

Do you by chance have Continentals on there? I had a very similar problem, I went of a set of rough rail road tracks and some how slashed the side wall. Yes needless to say I had an interesting time with the "instant" spare lol.

mitaka

Yes Continentals. Metal piece from the bridge damaged the tire.

heron25

hi Mitaka:

Call the city and report it. A number of cities will reimburse you fortire damage from potholes or thinks like the situation you described.

R. Reyes

And that is why I pay the premium for Michelin's. Glad to made it okay. How was the ease of changing a tire? Details would be appreciated, as things like this always interest me, and I haven't had an opportunity to just 'test' it myself.

Also, the first time I had the red CHECK TIRE light come on, I was glad I was in a MB. 4 kids in car, nail all the way through, but luckily only 1/2 block from a Discount Tire.

avlis

It's a good idea to do tire change "drill" sometime at your leisure. That way you'll know what to expect in case you have to do it in reality. I wonder how many people realize that the spare is uninflated and must be blown up with the onboard compressor?

Figuring it out the first time while on the side of a busy highway, in the snow, with 4 kids + wife crying, in a suit, while your late for a wedding would be pretty stressful...

And I should practice what I preach...

JTReeves

AVLIS gives good advice. I took the opportunity when my Contis needed ti be rotated. I inflated the donut and moved it from front to rear and side to side as I swapped the road tires from front to rear. I took out the valve stem to deflate the spare before putting it back in the stowage area. Learnining how the jack works and how best to align the tire holes with the hubs is better done in a dry, well-lit garage as opposed to the side of the road in the dark with the kiddies and wife at risk.
Ask a submariner about practice and drills. Better safe than sorry.

JR